𝒜 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝐸𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉

15 - 𝐿𝑒𝓉 𝐼𝓉 𝐵𝑒

She awakens to the sound of pots clanking together in the kitchen, as well as boiling water, and her eyes flutter open, being greeted by artificial light spilling across the room, though thankfully it isn't too bright. Releasing a soft groan, she stretches her legs out, discovering that they've become rather stiff due to the position she's been in for the past...how long has she been asleep? She doesn't see any sunlight coming through the slits in the curtains, so she assumes it to be night. At least close to it, if not completely.

She glances at her surroundings, instantly remembering where she's at and taming the disappointment blossoming in her chest. Of course it wasn't a dream. Of course she's in the middle of a camp filled with mask-wearing lunatics. Of course her life has somehow gotten so much worse than she could have ever imagined because she's just that unlucky. She rubs her eyes in an effort to wake herself up a bit before realizing she actually fell victim to the clutches of sleep; the very thing she was trying to evade. Oh well. At least she isn't dead, right? Her gaze sweeps toward the kitchen, and she sees the hooded male inside, moving about and doing whatever. Most likely getting himself something to appease his appetite, if he even possesses one.

He stands beside the oven, phone in hand as he scrolls it with his thumb. How he manages to properly work the screen with those thick-looking gloves on is beyond her. Maybe they're made for such an accomplishment, with touchpads or something sewn into the fingertips. She catches a whiff of something, perhaps a type of soup, and her stomach quietly rumbles, indicating that she's hungry. Not too big of a surprise, she supposes, since the last time she ate something had to have been that night at Nana's and Pops' house, which wasn't a lot, to begin with, but then on top of that, she ended up puking it all out so now her stomach is completely empty. How long ago was that? A day? Two?

She's unsure because she never received an exact timeline that she was asleep in Jack's house, but it feels about that long. Nana and Pops have to be frantic by now. They gain their grandchild back only to have her ripped away from them in just a couple days' time? She can't imagine the thoughts surely racing through their minds. How she wishes she could go back. But if what she's been told is indeed true and not fabricated to scare her into submission...then going back would endanger them. And she doesn't want that. She would rather disappear from their lives permanently and never see them again than she would return and put them at risk. That doesn't mean she doesn't want to see them again, if only for a bit.

She still is very wary about the whole 'slender faceless being stalking her and wanting to make her its slave' thing, but considering what all was happening to her prior to being captured, it...doesn't sound completely unfathomable. Sure, it's far-fetched and certainly puzzling, and she isn't on board with the whole situation, not until she has solid proof. But she still doesn't want to take any chances, so maybe...it wouldn't be a very clever idea to escape and reunite with her grandparents. As tempting as it sounds, she isn't willing to get them hurt or killed because of a reckless mistake. That isn't to say living with a bunch of crazy people is an ideal life for her, but if it's what she has to do to protect her family, then she'll do it.

She's drawn out of her flurry of thoughts when yet more clattering of metal is heard, and she sits up fully to peer into the kitchen, seeing Brian pouring something—presumably his food—into a glass bowl before stirring it up a bit, grabbing the bowl, and walking into the living room. As he does this his head turns and he notices her somewhat stiff position on the couch, eyes distant and hair tangled. It's clear that she just woke up from a nap, and the bags hanging under her eyes are a great indicator that her body needs a lot more rest than it's been receiving lately.

"There's stuff to eat in the fridge, and food in the cabinets too, in case you're hungry," he says, and she nods in response, not having the confidence to look up and meet the red dots of his mask at the moment. "I don't know if you know how to cook, but try not to burn the house down." With that, he walks away, earning a bit of an annoyed scowl instead of a verbal reply as she huffs.